Machine for stretching uppers.



F. PfBuLLARn.'

(No Model.)

' Patented uct. 17,1899

MACHINE FOR STRETCHING UPPERS (Application led Jan. 3, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l,

FET. l h4 TH: Nonms Kress a. PmmLfr-fo,4 WASHINGTON. D. c.

N0. 635,|24. Patented Oct. I7; |899.

F. P. BULLARD.

MACHINE FOR STBETCHING UPPERS.

(Application med im. s, 11999.)V

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-$hleet 42,

WITNESSESI' MMM? NVENTUR' Tm: nomas PETERS no. PHorouTNo.. WASHINGTON, D, c

No. 635,|24. Patented Ust. I7, |899.

' F. P. BULLABD.

MACHlNE FOR STRETCHING UPPERS.

(Application filed Jan, 3, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

EINTQ ...D .E S S. E N w llirnn rn'rns njrnr reine.

FRED P. BULLARD, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AUGUSTUS SEAVER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR STRETCl-IING UPPERS.

SPECIFICATIO forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,124, dated October 17, 1899.

Application filed January' 3,1899. Serial No. 700,895. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may conceive:

Be it known that I, FRED P. BULLARD, of Brocktomin the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Stretching Uppers, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates in general to lastingmachines or machines for stretching the uppers of boots and shoes, such as that shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 596,325, granted to William S. Hamm December 28, 1897. The machine in said patent is characterized by last-jacking and upper grasping and stretching mechanisms carried on a, frame or support which is reversible for the purpose of readily performing the successive lasting operations.

This invention has for its obj ect to provide mechanism for automatically unjacking the last and mechanism for automatically releasing the upper grasping and stretching devices, said mechanisms being operated bythe rotation of the aforesaid frame or support.

The invention further has for its object to improve 'the upper grasping and stretching mechanism.

'With these ends in view the invention consists in the improvements which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a side elevation `of an npper-stretching ma` chine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 represents a view in side elevation of parts shown in Fig. l, looking from the other side of the machine. Fig. 4. repre= sents a detail plan view, on an enlarged scale,

of a portion of the upper grasping and stretching mechanism. Fig. 5 representsa Vertical sectional view of said portion. Fig. 6 represents a detail sectional view showing the lock for the jack-rod. Fig. 7 represents a detail plan view of the toe-rest and adjacent parts.

The same reference characters indicate the. same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings I have not represented any the shank portion thereof, as my present invention can be described without illustrating such mechanism.

a is a standard mounted upon a suitable base a and formed or provided at its upper end with a horizontal bearing-sleeve a2, which journals a shaft b. To the forward end of the latter is secured the frame c, which supports the jacking and upper-stretching mechanisms, and to the rear end of said shaft is secured an arm b', carrying an adjustable counterweight h2.

b3 is a notched flange or collar secured to the shaft h, 'and b4 is a pivotal dog connected by a rod h5 with a treadle h6 and having a spring 57, which tends to maintain it in connection with one or another of the notchesin the flange h3. By depressing the treadle h6 the frame c is released and may be rotated to bring the last which it supports into an upright position, as shown in Fig. l, or into an inverted position with the sole uppermost.

c' is a heel-rest or step bolted to the frame c, and c2 is a toe-rest mounted as hereinafter described and'supportingthe toe of the last. To hold the last against these steps, a jackrod d is provided, said rod sliding vertically in a bearing in the frame c and having a spring d, which normally projects it away from the last. A jack-lever d6, pivoted at d7 to a support f, bolted on the upper side of the bearing-sleeve a2 and connected by a rod d8 with a treadle d'9, operates when said treadle is depressed to strike the head of the jackrod d and depress the same into engagement withthe last. The jack-rod is formed with a series of ratchet-teeth d2, which are engaged by a pawl d3, said rod being thereby held in theposition to which it is moved by the anisms is illustrated in Fig. 5 and is organized as follows: The jaw g is made integral with a sliding block c2, and the jaw g is .mounted to slide on said block and is held thereto by a retaining guide-pin Q26. g3 g3 are the two arms of a toggle connected with IOO the movable jaw Q aud with the block Q2, and Q4 is a knuckle-block pivoted to the junction of said toggle-arms and to the lower end of a Vertical rod Q5. The rods Q5 on the two sides of the machine are connected to the ends of a cross-head Q8, attached to a sliderod Q9, which is supported in a bearing-sleeve Q19 on the upper end of the frame c, a spring Q12 being provided to normally raise the crosshead and its attached parts. The rods Q5 are each made in two pieces, with oppositelyscrew-threaded ends engaged by an adjusting sleeve or nut Q9, and the upper end of each rod is attached by a double-hinge connection Q13 to the end of the cross-head Q8 to allow for universal movement of the lower end of said rod. To reciprocate the rod Q9, carrying the cross-head, the said rod is formed with rackteeth. Q14, engaged by the teeth of a pin/ion Q15, mounted on a stud Q19. At the end of the latter is attached a wheel or pulley Q17, which is connected by a chain Q18 with the downwardly-turned end of a horizontal sliding bar Q19. The latter is journaled in av sleeve Q29, bolted to the frame c. The chain Q18 occupies a peripheral groove in the pulley Q17 and has at its end a. short cross bar or stud Q21, which engages a notch in the periphery of the pulley, so that when the slide-rod Q19 is drawn to the rear the said stud engages the said notch and the pulley is rotated. A helical spring Q22, laid in the pulley-groove and attached to the pulley and to the chain Q19, serves to take up slack in the latter when the rod Q19 is in its normal position. The sliderod Q19 is retracted and the grippers thereby operated by means of treadle mechanism, including a slide-rod 7t, mounted in lguides on the upper end of the standard f and having an upwardly-projecting lug atits end adapted to engage the end of the rod Q19, and a chain h2, attached to the slide 7L and passing over a guide-pulley 7t12 to a treadle 71,9. The chain 77,2 is provided with a spring 7t1, attached to the end of a iiXed arm h5, whereby the chain is supported when slack. A spring 77,7 raises the treadle. The slide 7L is returned to its normal position after being retracted by means of a spring 719. Ou the edge of the rod Q9 are formed ratchet-teeth Q29, engaged by a pawl Q29, mounted on a stud Q21 in the frame c. Said pawl is normally held iu engagement with the said .ratchet-teeth by means of a spring Q29, Fig. 2, surrounding the stud Q21 and attached thereto and to the frame c. The slide Q2is provided with guides Q29, shaped in the arc of a circle and engaging guides formed on the end of the lever i, pivoted at t" to a block j. This block j, is mounted to slide ou a barjf, projecting laterally from a block j19, and adjusting means are provided whereby said block j and the pivotal arm t' may be moved longitudinally with respect to the block ,719, said means including a screw l7'2, engaging the block j and mounted on a bearing-blockj2, which is attached to the end of the bar j. On the end of thescrew is a handvment with the ratchet-teeth.

wheel f1 for rotating said screwj2. By turning this hand-wheel it will readily be seen that the grippers Q Q maybe adjusted laterally to correspond to the different widths of shoes which are lasted. A springt2 normally projects the gripper-carryin g end of the lever Y z' upwardly, and a screw-stop limits the upward motion of the grippers.

In operating to stretch the upper over the last the rst downward movement of the rod Q5 causes the grippers Q'Q to close together and grip the edge or fringe of the upper, and a further downward movement of said rod depresses the grippers bodily and causes the upper to be stretched.

The block 319 is provided with a screwthreaded shank or. spindlej, journaled in a slide-block 7e, which latter is splined to a rod 7c', bolted on the frame c, and is adapted to be moved along said rod by means of a screw 7a2, engaging the' slide-block and journaled in a block 7c3, secured to the end of said rod 7c. The screw 7a2 is rotated by means of a handwheel 7c4 and operates to move the grippers bodily longitudinally of the last to pull the upper forward. For the purpose of pulling the edge of the upper over the last. to be tacked mechanism is provided, including a rod i4, mounted to slide in guides on thepivotal arm and connected by a link 5 with the gripper-block Q2. A springt'7 normally retracts the rod t4, and a pivotal hand-lever 9, formed with a gear-segment on its hub, engaging rack-teeth 12 on the rod t1, is provided for moving the rod to project the grippers toward the last. When said grippers are thus projected, the segmental guide Q29 causes them to approach the insole in a curved path, as will be readily understood. The rod t4 is held in the position to which it is moved b y means of a pivotal dog 119, engaging ratchet-teeth t9, formed on the rod t4. Said dog is formed with a handle and provided with a spring @'19, which holds it in engage- The upper end of the spindlef, journaledin the block 7a, is provided with a clamping-nut 719 and with a segmental ratchet j?, engaged by a pawlj8 having alv retaining-springj9. The block Q19, carrying the grippers, may be turned on its pivot to bring the grippers parallel with the edge of the last and when adjusted is held in position by means of the nut and ratchet and pawl.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The last e, with an upper and insole in position, is placed on the steps or rests c c2 and is jacked up by depressing the treadle C79, the jack-rod being automatically locked, as previously described. The edges of the upper are then slipped into the open gripper-jaws, and the treadle h3 is depressed to cause said grippers to grasp and stretch the upper. rllhe operator then manipulates the hand-wheels 761 to draw the edges of the upper forward ou the last. mented by the employment of lasting-pin- This latter operation is supple- IOC IIO

reg

c'ers m, connected with the toe-rest c2 byafulcrum connection m in order to last over the toe portion of the upper. Additional gripping members for grasping the upper at the shank portion and drawing it over the last may also be employed and operated in any suitable manner; but as these form no part of my present invention I have not illustrated the same. The rod giis automatically locked in position, as hereinbefore described, by means of its pawl Q23, so as to hold the grippers in grasping and stretching condition. The last may now be inverted by depressing the treadle h6 and releasing the frame c, which is rotated to invert the last and bring the sole of the last uppermost. After vinverting the last the operator swings the levers t6 outwardly, and thereby draws .the edges of the upper inwardly over the last in a position to be tacked. After the tacking operation is completed the reversible frame c is returned to its original position, and the rods Q9 and CZ are automatically released by the action of two cams o o', secured to the standardfand engaging trip-levers d10 and Q25, secured to the studs or shafts d4 and Q24 of the respective locking-pawls d3 and g. The action of the cams on the trip-levers releases the pawls from engagement with the ratchet-teeth on the rods Q9 and d and allows the springs surrounding the upper ends of said rods to retract the latter. The retraction of the jackrod d unjacks the last and. permits its `removal, and the retraction of the rod g automatically releases the Vhold of the grippers g g on the edge of the upper. The operator finally manipulates the dogs i9 to release the rods it, and the last may then be removed from the rests c c2.

In Fig. 7 the construction of the toe-rest is shown in detail. c2 is a curved frame or bar bolted to the slide-block It, as shown in Fig. 5, and supporting at its middle part a sleeve c6, in which is mounted a slide c5. The latter carries a point c5 at its forward end to engage the under side of the last or of the insole. A spring c4 normally retracts the slide ce, but allows the same to remain in its proper position, supporting the toe of the last when the slide-blocks 71:76 are moved to draw the upper forward on the last. l

It will be observed that a very advantageous disposition of the parts is made in my improved lasting-machine. In machines heretofore constructed most of the gripper-actuating mechanism has been so situated as to obstruct in a great degree free access to the sole of the last for the purpose of performing the tacking operation. In the present machine, however, the gripper and jack operating mechanisms, when the last is upright, are

practically allv above the sole of the last, so that when the lastsupport is reversed to bring the last-sole uppermost the space above the sole is clear of obstructions.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a way of constructing and using the same,although without having attempted to. set forth all the forms :in which it may be embodied or all the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim isll. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively mounted for reversibility, last-jacking and upperstretching mechanisms carried by said frame, means for actuating said jacking mechanism to jack the last, and means operated automatically by therotation of thefraine, for

actuating said mechanism to unjack the last.

- 2. In amachine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively mounted for reversi-bility, an upper-stretching mechanism carried thereby, a jackrod carried thereby, means for operating said rod to jack the last, a lock associated with lsaid rod for holding the lastjacked, and means on a fixed support, operating on said lock when the frame is rotated, to release said jack-rod.

3. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively mounted for reversibility, an upper-stretching mechanism carried thereby, a jack-rod carried thereby, an operating member on a fixed support adapted to actuate said rod to jack the r last, an automatic lock associated with said rod for holding the last jacked, and means on a fixed support operating on said lock when the frame is rotated, to release said jack-rod.

4. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively mounted for reversibility, an upper grasping and stretching mechanism carried thereby, means for operating said mechanism to grasp and stretch the upper, and means operated automatically by the rotation of the frame, for

actuating said upper-stretching mechanism iiXed support for operating said mechanismto grasp and stretch the upper, said means' and said y mechanism having disconnected parts which interlock for combined movement relative to the reversible lframe without obstructing rotary movement of the latter, and means operated automatically by the rotation vof the frame for actuating said upper grasping and stretching mechanism to release the upper.

IOO

IIO

7 In a machine for stretching uppers, the I combination of a last-support, a pair of grippers, means for moving the same to stretch the upper vertically, a member carrying said grippers and having a guide Whereon the grippers slide to carry the upper inwardly over the last, a block carrying said member, a screw adjustment for said bloc-k, and means for moving the grippers With respect to said member.

8. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a last-support, a slide g2, a pair of grippers mounted thereon, a member carrying said slide and having a guide arranged to direct the grippers and slide inwardly and vertically toward the last, said member being mounted to move vertically to permit the vertical stretching of the upper, means for moving the slide With respect to said member, a toggle for actuating the grippers, and means for simultaneously operating FRED P. BULLARD Witnessest C. F. BROWN, E. BATcI-IELDER. 

